Cozy beds, spa, 24-hour veterinarian and non-alcoholic beers imported from Belgium: at Critterati, the first luxury hotel for dogs in South Asia, doggies wave their tail of pleasure. In Gurgaon, the satellite city of New Delhi, St. Bernardians, Labradors and Lhasa Apsos enjoy delicacies that the 30 million emaciated stray dogs in India wouldn’t dream of. Here, animal owners are called « parents ». The four-legged guest has access to a café, swimming pool, hairdressing sessions and Ayurvedic massages. With suites charged up to $ 70 a night, this dog hotel is a high-end kennel, with far greater comfort than anywhere else.

« No decent dog owner would want to leave dog in these places, » says Deepak Chawla, the businessman who founded this facility whose doors opened four months ago. The largest suite offers a giant bed with a velvet covered headboard, a TV and a hatch with access to a private balcony. In the cafeteria, in addition to traditional dishes like chicken with rice, canines can choose between muffins, pancakes and ice cream. The bacon scent is very popular.

At Critterati, there is no question of leaving the customer idle for a second. Hotel staff cannot do enough for him. The day « starts at 7am with a pee break, then breakfast, then pee again, then play sessions for about two hours, then a little swimming, then new game sessions, plus coffee time, « says Deepk Chawla. The hotel’s owner’s friends warned him that the animals might destroy the luxurious bedding. But « after seven o’clock in the evening, they don’t have the energy to damage or soil anything tonight, they just sleep, » he said.

Finnish, Katriina Bahri has been running a bakery in India for five years with her husband. Sitting on a coffee bench, she studied the menu with Billoo, her Lhasa apso. « I love this idea of ​​allowing him to live what we are aiming for too, i think it should be as spoiled as we are, » she says.

The Critterati is part of the growing craze of the Indian middle class for pets. Of the two million domestic dogs in the country in 2002, it is estimated that they are now 15 million. A figure that should rise to 26 million in 2021.

Deepk Chawla worked three and a half years to launch this hotel, born more of a love for dogs than an uncertain prospect of profitability. « An animal is more loyal than humans, they will do anything for us so they deserve it ».